AIBU to think DD might as well learn to drive on an automatic car?

Why restrict yourself to learning something just because ' you don't have to" People take lessons in things all the time that they don't "have to".

True, because they 'want to'. But if you don't have to, and don't want to, why waste time? OPs daughter could skip the manual she does not want or need, and use the time to do something she wants to - whether it's learning to fly or learning to play bagpipes.

Exactly, 10-15 years ago automatics were far less common, and any young driver paying for a car themselves is only going to be able to afford something that sort of age.

Why restrict yourself to learning something just because ' you don't have to".

One of my A levels was in English Lit. It's not something I needed to do not used since really. Should I not have bothered learning? People take lessons in things all the time that they don't "have to"

Yeah my DS has a 11 reg Peugeot. It's manual.TBH when looking at the cars around the £1500 budget he had I don't recall seeing many autos available.

His friend has an auto but that's a 23 reg provided by mummy and daddy

But you don’t have to. It’s not actually necessary. Why are manual drivers so virtuous about it? It’s highly likely that only being able to drive an auto is not going to cause the OP’s DD any issues at all.

She can always take a manual test later on if she wants

That doesn't take long to learn though. One or 2 lessons max

Riga is a random choice. How is the auto/ manual car hire situation in Spain for example? Much more likely to be hiring a car there

Most people do have third party insurance to drive other cars though 20 year old DS Is only one I know who doesn't YET

It doesn't matter that the OP doesnt intend to buy a new car. She isn't the one learning. The DD will buy and own her own car at some point.

You beat me to it.

There's nothing to stop her dd practising with her parents' automatics but doing lessons & her test with a manual, so that she has greater options when she comes to buy her own car.

Seems daft not to unless OP intends to get her to test level herself.

Loving the arguments about how manuals are cheaper to buy and maintain… when the point is that the OP doesn’t have a manual and has no intention of buying an additional car. The OP’s daughter would be driving Op’s existing non-manual cars… so only needs an automatic licence at this stage.

I learned in a manual. But if people find it easier in an auto just what is the problem? They are not harming anyone else.

This thread is just bizarre.

Are you genuinely saying that if someone hasn't yet learned the skills to drive a different type of vehicle to the one they are actually driving, they shouldn't be on the road?

Should everyone have a motorcycle and a heavy vehicle licence too? You never know what kind of emergency a Mumsnetter will imagine next.

it's still worth the effort to learn how to drive a manual car.
If it means OP needs to buy another car, or it takes a lot longer for the DD to learn to drive, as she has no car to practice with, I don't think it's actually worth it.
As one pp posted, half the used cars on the market are automatics. I just checked another random location and random week, in Riga airport you have 172 automatic and 131 manual cars available, and cheapest automatic costs you 8 EUR more than cheapest manual, for a week. So I really don't think the narrative that automatic only is so expensive and restricive is really true any more.

Right, fair enough, but I'm sure you understand that a person with 'lots of cars' is a bit of an outlier in a conversation like this. Most of us can only afford the one, if that. I'm sure if OP's daughter, who this thread is about, was an enthusiast planning on building a collection of cars for racing we'd know about it, and that would change the advice given.

It is still the case though that manuals are cheaper to buy and maintain, and most rental/ courtesy cars etc are still manual and will be for the next few years at the very least.

Unless it's the difference between passing the test or not, it's still worth the effort to learn how to drive a manual car.

I'm quite sure that if OPs DD was seriously into cars and racing, she would make other choices. Most people use cars to get from A to B and do not desire to be in control of gear changes.

I dont just have cars for commuting. We have lots of cars for fun - track days, events, race days.

You cant compare super cars to the average car people buy to use for daily “drudgery” either.

That’s quite ableist. Dd has dyspraxia so struggled with that. But passed her automatic test 4 years ago and never had an accident in 4 years so she’s fine on the road thanks.

Precisely. MN is very fond of declaring that perfectly competent drivers shouldn’t be on the road.

And if you cannot manage that you shouldn’t be on the road

Or you can drive automatic where none of those skills have any importance whatsoever.

Those saying no reason to learn manual are missing the point of increased costs, running costs and insurance by a significant amount. That's how someone would limit themselves not being unable to drive someone else's car in an emergency. Even the insurance companies see it as a sign of incompetence.

I've only been driving an auto for a year - I regularly said my next car would be an auto but every time I made the purchase it was just so much cheaper to get the car as a manual and as a manual driver I didn't think twice about having to change gears etc etc. this car is a hybrid and a company car so I got as good as I was allowed. I felt uncomfortable at first but now enjoy it. I'd go for an auto if I wasn't paying myself but I can't say I'd definitely go for it next time. I am tight tho.

My daughter is going to do automatic only as she has tried manual and can't cope with too many actions at once (ASD).

We think it's fine, 20 years ago I'd have said no that's a crazy idea but autos are more commonplace and future wise they will be even more so. It limits your second hand buying if small cars somewhat to start with but they do tend to be cheaper tbh for starter cars. Probably more to go wrong in them on the downside!